


What You Cannot Resist

by Mathieuwarrior



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Adventure, Chasing, Fear, Gender-neutral Reader, Hisoka is a sadist, Innocent Reader, Masochist? Reader, Other, Probably going to be writing this for a while, Reader is a sweetie, Reader loves adventure, What's new
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 21:32:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13772997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mathieuwarrior/pseuds/Mathieuwarrior
Summary: The reader finds themselves on the fortunate path of their dreams towards becoming a hunter, though despite the preconceived notion of it being of a glorified adventure, they soon begin to find too late of the truth of being unable to run away forever.





	1. An x Adventure x Begins

Today, you were going to become a Hunter.  
The annual Hunter’s exam: You had anticipated for this day to come.  
This was your chance to finally get to that gateway of wondrous adventure, to move away from home to a faraway place. The unknown, the indefinite unexpectedness of travel, it was all an exhilarating thought to you. And, perhaps, it was a dangerous desire. 

Many would gladly stay in the comfort of their home, surrounded by family and familiar faces. Everyone you knew on this island was set on staying here to live out their lives. Who wouldn’t? It was one of the many ways of life on this island. But you, you loved the idea of adventure for as long as you could remember. For living on a small island, homemade adventure meant camping out in the forest until mother would come racing after you with worry in her eyes. You never liked how bothersome you were to her, always running off for her to find you, covered in scrapes and bruises. But you couldn’t help yourself. Your ambitions were greater than the whole of the island, and you wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere foreign, to get the chance to escape into another world. 

Being a Hunter meant doing as you pleased, being free. It was a path that many desired but only few could attain. 

“I’m home.” Pushing open the lemon-coloured door to your house, you called into the kitchen, assuming that your mother was washing the dishes from breakfast from the sound of the sink running. Your house wasn’t exactly the largest, as most of the rooms are combined for its size. The kitchen and dining room were joined next to the living room, accompanied with a small curtain which separated the two. Then there were the stairs which led to the second level, where there were mom and your's bedrooms, as well as a bathroom. It’s small, but it’s home.

“Welcome back!” Your mother yelled back in reply, turning off the sink. Slipping off your shoes, you stepped into the living room and dropped your bag on the floor by a cushion. You were then greeted by your mother as she parted the curtains to the living room, drying off her hands with a hand towel. 

“It’s been hours since I last saw you, where were you? You have me worried sick sometimes you know, [Y/n]..” Her eyebrows were raised in concern as she awaited an answer. You do owe it to her to at least tell her where you’ve been. After all, you leave without a word most times, and sometimes, never hear the end of it. 

“Oh..I was..Well..” You couldn’t find the words to say it. You were out, talking to the locals and pressing them for more information on the Hunter's exam once again. And still, you had yet to tell mother of the exam. But before you could try and explain, her eyes fell on your bag.

“Were you out again?” She questioned as she pointed to the bag which you placed on the ground previously. Bad habit. You knew you shouldn’t keep leaving your stuff carelessly around the house, it was just begging for your mother to find them and question you about it later.  
You laughed lightly to yourself as you scratched the back of your head, guilty. 

“Yeah, sorry about that..”  
But, you weren’t nearly as sorry for that than what you would inevitably tell her. 

“Hey, mom? I have something that I want to tell you. Can we sit down for a moment?” You were a bit nervous in bringing up the exam, but you knew you had to take the initiative and responsibility. She seemed a bit confused, opening her mouth to ask, but stopped before soundlessly walking over to the table, sitting down in compliance as you did.

“What is this about, [Y/n]?” She asked gingerly, showing that she would listen and try to reassure you in what you were about to bring up. You then reached over to your backpack and pulled out the poster which was already sticking somewhat out of the opening. You held it in both your hands, trying to build up confidence. 

1

2

3

“Mom, I want to become a Hunter!” Holding out the poster with both your hands, you exhaled a pent-up sigh of relief, not knowing you were unconsciously holding your breath. The poster told of the ship’s time of departure from the island to where the journey to the Hunter’s exam would begin. There was only a vast amount of information, but the inquiry with the locals had filled you in better on things. 

Though she was sitting straight across from you and you were looking at her, you hadn’t seen her reaction yet. Finally tuning into reality, you focused on her face, which told no apparent signs of distraught or surprise yet. Her eyes were scanning the poster. A few moments passed by, and before you could get the chance to speak up, she did.

“I can tell you’re serious about this.” She spoke softly, her eyes leaving the paper to meet yours. “After all, it’s the first time you’ve ever told me before you went running off to somewhere.” She laughed, though it sounded a bit bittersweet. But, she understood that it was only inevitable for you to grow up. With that, so did your taste of adventure. It was only a matter of time with your ambitious nature for you to eventually strive for something more than a simple life on the island. She knew this instantly. It was the fire in your eyes which gave it away.

You felt somewhat relieved to have gotten that off your chest now. This new journey to a new beginning was something you always lived for, she knew it fully well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you have everything packed?”  
“Yes mom.”  
“You know where to go now, right?”  
“Yes, I asked all around the locals. Twice.”  
“ _Only_ twice?”  
“Mom!”  
“I’m kidding!” 

She laughed to herself before looking back to you.

“My little [Y/n], all grown up now..” She sighed to herself with a smile.  
“Have a safe trip, write back to me once in awhile, alright?” 

“Okay, okay, I will!”

You started off down the grassy path that lead to the island's port, but were stopped by the voice of your mother calling out to you.

“[Y/n!]” 

She came running, and before you could turn around, embraced you in her arms. 

“Mom- The boat’s leaving in 10 minutes, you have to leave at least a little bit of time for the rest of the town to say goodbye before I leave.” 

“I know I know, I just wanted one last hug before you go.” 

She pulled back from you and looked down at your face.

“Go beat that exam now, okay?” She then ruffled your hair lovingly, to which you nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I will, but I can only pass the exam if my mother isn’t attached to me!” You laughed and she let you go, brushing aside your hair from your forehead and leaving one last kiss for goodbye. 

“Have fun, my little [Y/n].”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing this story for a little while and finally decided I would upload a few of the complete chapters <3  
> I wanted to make more of a story- like fic, so, it gives a lot of background to the character.  
> I also realized I uploaded it on my birthday... Aha, it's late.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the many more ! /(' ';
> 
> ~Matt


	2. Your X New X Beginning

Your journey had just begun, and you were now trekking down the path, leading you down a hill into the small town that resided peacefully by the ocean. The calm waves swayed and lapped at the sides of the tarnished wooden ships at port, dispersing its signature faint salty smell into the air. As you neared the town, you had taken note of the people who were working outside, all familiar faces which you had taken careful consideration in remembering during your time living on the island. After all, you were the helping hand of the community, and you were well known for it too.

It was just in time for you to see there a man, sweeping the porch outside the town’s jewelry shop. He was the owner, and his name was Kittredge. You would often come back from the forest bringing special supplies you had picked up for his more demanding of clients, and he’d craft amulets and rings for you in return. He was also a fairly widely known jeweler in a sense that customers from all around the world would request his fine crafted goods. 

You had waved hello to him as you stepped up onto the porch. Once he noticed you, his eyes lit up, handing the broom off to his left hand to hold idly.  
“[Y/n]! How are you?” He mustered the biggest most brimming grin he could manage and held out his arms for emphasis.  
“Kittredge! I’m glad I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”  
“What makes you think you didn’t? This cleaning’s hard work you know, the shop isn’t going to just run itself!”  
You smiled, he always did love to joke around with you, and it’d never fail to make the darkest of days seem a little brighter.  
“That’s odd, I didn’t think I would see you out so early, and sweeping the deck nonetheless.” You retorted back in a jesting manner.  
“Well, a man’s got to keep his shop looking presentable.”, so he claimed.

“So, what are ya here for? Got my latest order yet?” He inquired, raising a brow.  
“..Ah! Right” You exclaimed, sliding your backpack off your back and diving into it for the satchel where you had kept the goods you collected from the forest just this morning, Taking the paper as well, you held out the satchel while reading off the order.  
“Elden roots, Ambergloss and Bealdwine twyne, right?”  
“Aye, this’ll do just fine!” He reached out and took the satchel while you crouched down and reorganized your bag, folding and stuffing the paper on the bottom. 

“So, takin’ the Hunter's exam this year are we?”  
You did a double take, wondering if what you heard was right. How did he know? You hadn’t told him yet.  
“How did you-?”  
He let out a hearty laugh.  
“Small town, not much gets by me.” He directed his thumb, pointing behind his back at the gathering of people chatting in a group, talking rather loudly about you. That’s right...  
You swallowed before nodding, closing up your backpack and slipping it over your shoulder as you stood up.  
“Yeah. I am.”  
“That’s grand to hear!” He chuckled again as his eyes closed in merriment.  
“Though I’m sure my clients would hate to see you go, I don’t know how I’ll be able to please em’ without my little assistant around anymore.”  
“Really? And how did you ever manage to be just fine without me before?”  
“E-er, well, you know, Barclay... He can be useful at times.” He was a bit caught off guard by your daring question, stammering and scratching the side of his head. It was quite a sight to see that you actually had him stumbling over his own words. This earned a laugh from you.  
“Yeah, I’ll have to tell him that. _‘Your husband thinks you’re useful at times’,_ I’m sure he’d love to hear that, wouldn’t he?”  
“You know what I mean, he just doesn’t quite like getting his hands dirty is all! Don’t take it the wrong way.”  
You laughed once again, becoming quite entertained at poking fun about the two, and how Kittredge had quite the soft spot when it came to his husband.  
“Don’t worry Kittredge. Besides, when I become a Hunter I’ll be able to send back more brilliant and expensive materials and gems than you’ve ever seen!”  
“That might be true… But in the meantime I’ll have an awful lot of unhappy customers, this’ll set my orders back by at least a few weeks...” He feigned a troubled look, slouching forward and rubbing his back as if it was in aching pain.  
“You know..” You started, already having formed a scheming idea.  
“They say that it’s almost impossible to get Lyxaquoise since it only originates in a landlocked from all outsiders. But with a Hunter's license, you can enter practically any country or land you please..” You gloated, knowing fully well he couldn’t not seize the chance to get his hands on working with this particular highly desired and rare gem.  
“L-Lyxaquoise??” He exclaimed in astonishment. You could have sworn his eyes doubled in size at your decisively conceived remark.  
“Heh, I’ll be holding you to bringing me some of it back too, [Y/n]. Don’t think you’ll get off so easy if you return empty-handed!”  
“Alright, alright! I will.” 

“Oh, [Y/n]! One more thing before you go.” Kittredge placed the broom against the shop’s wall and stepped inside for a moment. Waiting, you wondered what it was he wanted to show you. Maybe his latest piece? 

He took out a wooden box from his work desk and came back to present it to you.  
“It’s my newest addition, and crafted just for you. I think you’ll like it, I’ve tried something a little different this time.” He seemed fairly proud of it, and you were increasingly piqued as to what his great creation was going to be this time.  
You opened the box, finding that It was another specially made amulet, held together by well crafted dark leather cord, which withheld an authentic look in complementing the pendant. The pendant on the cord was the island's native stone, Saturis. It was earth-green in colour, decorated with a moss-like pattern and finely polished to give it a glassy look. The stone had many names it was known by, such as the Trickster stone, or satyrs’ stone, from which its name had originated. Its name came from how often animals of the forest would mistake eating it, as it lies amongst beds of moss. It’d then stay in the animal’s stomach until death, where eventually the body and blood would have withered away to nothing, leaving the stone the only thing in its place. That’s where it would earn a red rusted colour. The stone was a symbol among the island’s people, and how they’ll forever stay with you, even until death. But this also shows how cunning and persistent they can be as well.

“No matter where you go, a part of this island and its people will always be with you.” He stared down at you with intense dark green eyes, and picked up the amulet from the box. You held out your hand then as he placed it in your palm, feeling it’s smooth texture over with your thumb. Examining its weight in your hand, it turned out to be fairly light.  
“Thank you, Kittredge…” Nodding your head in a slight bow, you thanked him graciously for the gift. 

Taking the cord in both of your hands, you slipped it over your head, letting it gently fall to just a few inches below your collarbone. 

“It suits you perfectly..” He placed both his hands at his hips, standing proudly and admiring his handiwork. 

You then heard a familiar sound, dark and booming in nature. Ships’ horn.  
It must have arrived already. You looked around frantically, as you weren’t quite done saying your goodbyes to everyone. But then, you felt a hand pull you in. You were a bit panicked, but soon came to realize it was only Kittredge who had embraced you while tousling your hair playfully.  
“Don’t worry about us [Y/n], I think you’ve done enough for us already.”  
“H-hey, my hair-” You finally gave in, deciding it was useless to fight against it. Kittredge finally let go of you so that you could attend to the mess.  
“Go pass that Hunters exam now, alright?”  
Running your hand through your hair one last time, you hummed in affirmation and nodded your head. All worries you had were now gone as you slid your backpack strap over your other shoulder and ran for the docks, where the ship had been waiting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There, you saw an old man standing at the dock. He had a pipe in hand and his arms crossed as he watched you approach the ship.  
“This is it?” He raised a brow as he brought the pipe up to his mouth, taking in a long drag. He looked over the fairly small island, before puffing out a cloud of smoke. He then nodded his head affirmatively, and gestured you to board the boat.  
“We ain’t got all day now.” 

“Yes sir.” Nodding your head, you made your way up the walkway which connected the boat to the dock, and stepped onto the boat.  
You turned back around to look back at the island.  
The only place you ever knew, Yielden Island.  
It was your home.  
You’ll miss everyone, but you knew that they would always be with you, no matter how far you would travel.

A refreshing gust of wind washed over you, feeling it cool your core and ease your senses.  
The moment felt so right, like it was meant to be. It was like this feeling had been awaiting you, yet it was familiar in a sense. 

The ship's’ horn alerted you from your thoughts, pulling you back to reality once again. With that, the course was set and the ship began to drift away from the port. You were about to turn away from the island, before you heard a commotion begin to fill the air. 

The people of the island started to pile out of their houses and homes, shopkeepers, housewives, even the fishermen who’d been busy every day for as long as you could remember. Everyone was collectively rushing out to the beach, which led you to wonder: Were they all here just to send you off?

“Goodbye, [Y/n]!” 

The whole island cheered collectively, to your surprise. You could make out faint remarks of “You can do it!” and “Come visit us someday!” amongst the townspeople. You couldn’t have imagined that they all had this in store just for you.  
And you were, of course, wearing the greatest smile, the kind that you can’t help but hold for so long that your cheeks start to ache. 

You ran towards the back of the boat, leaning against the railing so you could shout out to the crowd.  
“Goodbye everyone!” You yelled and waved your hands to everyone, feeling the moment fuel yourself with exhilaration. But there was someone who had caught your eye.  
The crowd had divided away to give just enough room for you to take notice of Kittredge, who was looking up at you pride. He held out his hand, which, from your distance, you had to squint to recognize that it was him giving you a thumbs up. 

‘Good luck, kid.’

You imagine that’s what he would be saying right now. 

You returned his gesture with a thumbs up as well, feeling a new kind of power and courage surging through you as the distance between you and the island grew. 

‘Thank you, everyone..’


	3. Setting X Sails X Ahead

Hours later, the rhythmic rocking of the ship that fought against the waves never once ceased for more than a few seconds. You could only wonder how far you were from the island now, but all you could see were blankets of fog which cascaded over the endless sea. You were resting your head on your arms as you leaned against the rails of the ship. Shifting your right arm, you placed it under your chin to give your left a rest for the time being. 

‘I wonder what Mother’s doing..’

Your mind had wandered off as these silent moments passed along. 

‘Is Barclay back from Yorknew city yet?’ 

‘What did the Bakers make today?’

‘Did the fishermen bring in a big catch?’

“-Hey, Miss? Er...Mister?” An unfamiliar young voice spoke up.

You looked around, seeing that the voice came from a young boy trying to get your attention. He looked no older than 12 and had dark spiked hair, which seemed to almost have green highlights. 

“There’s going to be a big storm coming, you should get inside soon.”  
He pointed upwards to the clouds, but you couldn’t see much concerning a storm. 

“Oh, Thank you..”  
You hesitated a moment before the boy noticed and had interjected.

“Gon! Gon Freecs.”  
He smiled wide and genuine, causing his cheeks to meet his closed eyes. You had humbly smiled back as well, feeling a bit of his lightheartedness rub off on you despite the situation. 

“Thank you, Gon!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had sat down by the wall on the inside of the ship’s quarter, your bag on your lap, whilst trying to wait out the storm which racked the ship recklessly. Practically everyone was laying on the ground, moaning in their disgruntled seasick shape, succumbed to the relentless forces of nature.  
That kid you saw earlier was helping the other crew members who seemed to be having a pretty rough time, seemingly unfazed in the least by the storm’s aftermath. You decided that you would offer to help as well, since he was the only one doing anything relatively useful at this time, and concerning the only other two able people were reading or sitting silently. 

“Here, chew on this. It’ll help you feel a little bit better.” He handed over some herbs to the immobilized crewmember, who discreetly received them and thanked him weakly in return. Then, you saw someone barge in through the door, stumbling over to the two in a nervous fit.  
“H-here, your water.” He held out a cup to the young boy, his trembling arm barely fit to be supporting his own hand. 

“Thank you, Katzo!” He took the cup and turned to the crew member, who had yet to have barely efforted towards putting the herb in his mouth.

“Hey, could you show me where you get the water?” You inquired over to the able crewmember as you pointed over to the kid who was tipping the cup to meet the other’s mouth. It was the least you could do, after all. 

“Huh? O-oh, Aye!” He seemed a bit shaken up and nervous from what you could tell, perhaps from the unexpected call. Admittedly, you felt a bit sorry for him. 

“T-this way.” He spoke up towards you while gesturing out the door. You nodded and slipped your bag off your lap to rest against the wall, getting up and following after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“-And you? Where do you come from?” You readjusted your arm around the bucket of water you were carrying while looking over to the quiet boy who had accompanied you. He had been patiently listening to your passionate ongoings of your hometown, which had spiraled from his innocent-enough inquiry.

The question seemed to leave him with a troubled look as he fixed his face in a funny way, adjusting his head towards the stars.  
“I don’t really remember... I’ve been traveling for almost all my life.” He shrugged, closing his eyes and nervously tightening his grip on the stack of cups he carried.  
“Once at sea, always at sea, ahah..” He laughed nervously, then turned his head to meet your face offering sympathy, to his surprise. 

“N-not that it’s a bad thing! T-the sea is my home, I honestly couldn’t be happier!” He said. attempting to comfort your doubt. 

You laughed at this, causing little drops of water to spill from the sides of the bucket amidst your amusement. Katzo wore a puzzled look toward your reaction, but let out a little laugh as well. 

Shortly after you had finished your conversation with Katzo, you both had returned to the quarters where the others were to deliver the water. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ ‘Tank you..” One of the members mumbled after you had helped direct the cup of water to their mouth. They had already been wiped out and the tests haven’t even begun yet. Admittedly, you felt a bit sorry for them, but those who couldn’t handle these things surely wouldn’t make the Hunter’s exam. Maybe they’ll retry next year, or find a new calling for themselves. You only hoped that something good came out of it, and not just a failed attempt at becoming a hunter. 

You got up after making sure the man could hold the cup stable enough, then heard a voice from behind you. 

“So there’s a few left with some iron in ‘em, eh?” You turned around to see the captain with his usual pipe hanging from his mouth, looking around the room between the three other well people, and you. 

“Meet me all in the cabin, those of you who can stand.” He remarked before removing his pipe from his mouth, leaving a puff of smoke into the air. He left out a satisfied ‘heh’, then turned on his heel to head back to the control room. 

You looked around the room to find that the other two had begun to show some life, getting up and beginning to move towards the door without a word. You still didn’t quite know what to think of them yet, perhaps this would give you a chance to learn more about them.


	4. A X New Journey X Ahead

The few other bodies walked into the room, with you trailing last. The captain was standing next to the steering wheel of the ship with Katzo by his side, grasping a notebook with both his hands. 

“Good, now that yer all here we can start with introducin’ yerselves.” The captain said, followed by puffs of smoke in his speech.

“I’m Gon!” The black haired kid raised his hand in a bold manner, which had matched his equally exuberant personality.

“I am Kurapika.” The blonde haired boy cooly pronounced afterward.

“Leorio.” The taller man stated while casting his gaze aside, as if he were unimpressed. You didn’t quite know what to make of this. 

“And I’m [Y/n].” You mentioned calmly, and hopefully, loud enough for everyone to have heard.  
You noticed the sound of pencil on paper as you looked over to Katzo, already writing down a few things in the book. 

“Why do you want to become Hunters?” The captain asked blatantly while removing his pipe. 

“Oi old man, if you’re not an examiner you can’t go bossing us around.” The one named Leorio stated this rather loudly. “It’s none of your business-” 

“My dad is a hunter, I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so much.” Gon explained with an open smile. You had to admit that it sounded a bit childish, but you weren’t one to judge. From what you could tell so far he was pure-hearted, which only made you worry if he was going to make it during the Hunters exam. 

“Hey, kid. You’re not supposed to answer his question!” Leorio scolded the younger boy while his hands resided in his pockets. 

“Huh? Why can’t I tell him why I’m here?” Gon questioned while staring over at him. 

“Hmph. You don’t get it eh? I don’t want to tell him why I’m here, simple as that.” Leorio poked the kid’s forehead while speaking down at him. 

“I would have to agree with Leorio.” Kurapika chimed in, it seems like everyone here is being defensive. Was it foolish of you that you were just going to tell him? 

“That’s _Mr_ Leorio to you.” He barked over at Kurapika.  
Well, now you knew what _he_ was like: Hot-headed, loud, not to mention a bit stuck up. You decidedly made note to yourself not to get on his bad side for now. 

“Someone could easily lie to such an open question.” Kurapika continued, disregarding Leorio’s yelling. 

“Hey! Are you even listening to me?” He leaned over, now staring daggers at the young blonde. 

“Though, I do consider lying a sin as it would be dishonorable. So, if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot answer.” Kurapika placed a hand over his chest, grasping the material of his uniform for emphasis. 

“Don’t you ignore me!” Leorio piped up while pointing over at Kurapika, feeling quite bitter.

“So, you refuse to answer my question.” The captain spoke out, tilting his hat downward while eyeing the group. “Katzo.” 

“Aye, Captain.” Katzo said, looking over to him with a pencil in hand. 

“Tell the Exam Committee that we have two more dropouts.” He crossed his arms as he held his pipe from his mouth. 

“What?” Kurapika and Leorio exclaimed simultaneously, while you stood there, floored. 

“What do you mean?” Leorio seemed to have calmed down a bit, or whatever you would call calm for his standards. 

“Still haven’t figured it out? The Hunter Qualification Exam has already begun. There are as many people who want a Hunters License as there are stars in the sky. The examiners don’t have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us to screen the applicants.” The captain took a drag of his pipe before removing it to blow out a puff of smoke.  
“I’ve already notified the committee that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw. If they couldn’t handle a little storm, they wouldn’t stand a chance in the other Hunter Examination’s stages. In other words, you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you.”

A tense feeling filled the air as everyone went silent, most likely thinking over their next decision. 

“Think carefully before you answer my question.” He stated lastly. 

“You should’ve told us sooner…” Leorio grumbled, though he really had no choice but to answer sooner or later.

“I..Want to adventure to unseen places.” You spoke up, albeit your words sounding a bit clumsy. The captain nodded affirmatively to you, though it didn’t really relieve your anxiety that much. 

“I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan.” Kurapika spoke up, signaling his turn to speak. The others cautiously looked over at him as he started again.

“Four years ago, my clan was massacred by a band of criminals. I want to become a Hunter and capture the Phantom Troupe.” 

“So, you’re out to become a Blacklist Hunter then. The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Not many can so much as touch them. You would be throwing away your life. Do you understand?” The captain stated grimly. 

“I do not fear death, only that my rage may fade over time.” Kurapika stated confidently, though it did not step the boundary of sounding alike pride. The air around him seemed stagnant, yet held an immense intensity to it. You had to admit that you felt a little unworthy in his presence after hearing of such a noble cause. 

“So..” Leorio began, wearing a coy look while beginning to form his next remark. “In other words, you want revenge. You don’t have to become a Hunter to do that.” 

“You’re simple-minded, Leorio.” Kurapika retorted calmly, as if he hadn’t just delivered a searing insult. 

“I’ve told you, it’s Mr. Leorio!” He gripped his fists, but Kurapika ignored him once again, continuing.

“Places that are only accessible to Hunters, information otherwise impossible to obtain, and actions otherwise impossible, there are more reasons than what your brain could possibly handle.” 

Leorio looked as if he was about to explode now, and you braced yourself for what was to come.

“Hey!” A sudden outstretched hand came between Kurapika and Leorio. “Why do you want to become a Hunter Mr. Leorio?” Gon questioned enthusiastically, looking up at the taller man.

“Eh, me? Well… To put it plain and simple, I want money” Leorio mustered up a smug expression, it’s like his whole attitude had taken a 180.

“Money can get you everything! A big mansion, a nice car, the best of top quality liquor!” He let out a shrieking laugh, becoming fully immersed in his money-hungry dream. Well, you felt less bad about your own reasoning for becoming a Hunter now at least.

“You can’t buy class with money, Leorio.” Kurapika interjected, not even batting an eye his way while he spoke.

The room went silent, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, so you thought. You wondered if the others had shared your anxious anticipation, if the same air you all shared felt as if it had suddenly thinned.  
You had then turned in time, when you caught a glance at Leorio’s reaction. 

 

**“That’s _three_ times now.” **


	5. A X Dangerous X Encounter

Leorio stood towards the door, not casting the slightest look back before speaking again.

“We’ll settle this outside, I’ll end the Kurta bloodline here and now.” He slid his hands into his pockets, and you could hear a smooth metal click reach your ears. Your stomach began to fill with anxiety as you fidgeted in place.

“What!?” Kurapika took a step forward, his hands gripped in a tight fist at the bold statement. Leorio already began walking to the door, to which Kurapika decidedly followed.

The two stepped out of the cabin, while collected in nature, each step landed with a serious intent, leaving a heavy atmosphere in their wake. You shivered a bit, scratching your arm slightly while looking back to the others, though the scene didn’t seem to bother nor alarm them, at least from what you could tell. You sighed softly to yourself, about to follow after their trail. Well, it would be no use standing by and worrying, you thought that you might as well watch what would inevitably unfold. Taking a step towards the door, you were about to exit before you heard a voice call out. 

“Captain! Another set of waves headed straight towards us!” 

The piloting crewman shouted towards the red nosed captain, holding a tense grip on the wheel and gritting his teeth together in anticipation. Your stomach turned in itself, almost imitating the rough waters outside. Considering the ships last encounter with the haphazardous waves, you knew this couldn’t be good.

The captain simply nodded, before turning to bellow out the crew’s next orders.  
“All to yer’ feet an’ raise the sails!” 

A clamour of harsh voices and collective thud of feet on hardwood then hit your ears, intensifying this anxious feeling within your stomach. This can’t be good. 

You made haste to open the door, scanning the deck for the two quarreling men amongst the sea of scrambling sailors. The mix of salty sea and rain started to drench your clothing almost instantaneously, not to mention the powerful bouts of wind that would take you off your feet if you weren’t paying attention. Your eyes darted left and right, while you also dodged and shielded them from the flying water. Finally, they landed upon the two’s standoff towards the back of the ship, looking unexpectedly collected and balanced concerning the situation. 

Were they seriously going to fight it out now? In _this_ weather?  
You stood in disbelief, the weight of the ship rocking back and forth beneath your feet. Though, little did you know this would only be the beginning of many other questionable things on your journey to become a Hunter. 

Suddenly, you felt yourself heave forward towards the ground, ineffectively reaching your arms out in trying to break the fall for your head. Upon impact, you winced as you felt the weight of another atop you. 

“Hey, watch where you’re standing! Didn’t you hear all crewmembers were to raise the sails?” A sailor barked at you while quickly pushing himself to his feet and dusting himself off. 

“Sorry..” You mumbled out as you collected yourself from the ground, rubbing your elbows from where you landed. You supposed it was on you for gawking at those two amid the chaos. The other only scoffed and turned before running over to the main mast where the other sailors tugged at the rope securing the sail, attempting to battle against the wind on pure manpower alone. You knew that the storm obviously wasn’t going to stop the two fighting men, so you decidedly went to join the other crew members in hoisting the sail. 

You ran over and stood behind the line of sailors, taking the rough scratchy twined rope in your hands, and tugging with all your strength. You could feel the twine scratch and slip against your sea-slicked palms, and you had to squint from the wave that crashed against the deck, if you even attempted to keep your eyes open at all. They were at mercy to the sea now, if the wind blowing in them didn’t make you already tear up enough. 

You looked to the side, trying to keep from anything else getting anything else in your already blurred vision. Amidst it all, you noticed a familiar scrawny sailor pulling at the other rope beside you. Of course, you could recognize that blue bandana a mile away. Katzo. 

It was apparent he was struggling to pull at the rope, you couldn’t blame him really. He didn’t exactly seem built for manual work. Another sizable wave crashed against the side of the boat, you almost losing your balance if it weren’t for the rope to hold onto. You saw Katzo falter a bit then, a gust of wind following after, as if everything else wasn’t enough. 

Going to wipe your eyes, you heard the sailors yelling something, but you couldn’t quite make it out. You moved your arm away from your eyes, and saw Katzo nowhere in sight. A sinking feeling filled your stomach as your eyes darted around the ship for no more than a second before you saw him.

The rope he was holding onto had taken him into the air along with the wind, and he was now about to fall overboard. Your body acted before you could think, and you sprinted towards the side of the ship. Logically, anyone would have known that it was no use, but you couldn’t think with logic now, there wasn’t time. Reaching out to grab his arm and the rail with your other, you forgot to pay mind to slow in time, and now you were cursing yourself for it as your grip had slipped from the wet wooden rail. The momentum you built up and the weight of the other carried through and pulled you down, down towards the waters. Your mind began racing, and your heart sank. If you were to land down there as well, there would be no chance of living. If it wasn’t the undertow that would drown you, the waves would serve to crash you into the side of the ship as your head inevitably made hard contact and rendered you unconscious, if not worse.

Then, a hand suddenly grabbed onto your leg, pulling you out of your thoughts. You gasped in surprise, inhaling a sparing spray of water before beginning to cough. The two of you fell back against the side of the ship, but you were safe. You looked over your shoulder to see who had caught you.

‘It’s that kid from before..’ 

You thought to yourself, recognizing the boy with black spiked hair. Then you remembered, his name was Gon. You were greatly relieved, but you wondered how he was able to hold the weight of you two.

You and Katzo were then hoisted back up over the rail, and landed safely on the deck. Your energy was drained, both by holding onto Katzo and the shock of the situation, so you stayed resting on the floor. Your heart still beat anxiously, and your soul felt as if it were shaking. 

“Are you okay?” Gon asked crouched next to you, holding out his hand and inquiring with his head tilted slightly to the side. This reminded you of the actions of a young dog in a way, little did you know you would come to realize that description was rather accurate. 

“Uh..Yeah..” You shook your head, trying to rid yourself of your fatigue and daze. “Yeah, I’m good.” Mustering enough energy, you reached up and took his hand, pulling yourself up with his help. Your shoulder ached from where you hit against the ship as you were mostly tugged to your feet, but thankfully, you would recover with only a bruise at most. 

“Good!” He remarked with a smile, before you heard Leorio speak up from behind him.

“Oi, don’t be so reckless like that! If we didn’t catch you, you would’ve been finished!” Leorio scolded Gon, and Kurapika nodded softly as well. At least, it seems _they_ made up. Gon turned and stared up at Leorio with wide eyes, before bringing a finger to his lips and humming in thought. 

“But you did. You both caught me.” Gon stated simply, which rendered Leorio dumbfounded. “And if I didn’t catch [y/n], they both would’ve fallen in.”

“Ah..Well..I guess.” Leorio looked off to the side, scratching his head while his voice trailed off. You couldn’t help but laugh at this.

“Hey, just because you aren’t a kid doesn’t mean you’re off the hook either!” Leorio yelled at you in return, and you bit back on your tongue.

“Sorry.. I just.. Got a bit ahead of myself it seems.” You looked off to the side, wincing a bit at your clumsy arrangement of words. “But- Thank you, everyone. You saved me regardless, I don’t know how I could repay you.” You dipped your head in guilt, hoping you offered sufficient enough gratitude.

“Er.. Hey, no need to be so formal, It was nothing, really.” Leorio waved his hand dismissively with a flattered expression and brimming grin. This act confused you somewhat, but you were getting a better gain on what type of a person he was. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as his first impression let on?

“What he means.” Kurapika spoke up, letting out a sigh and crossing his arms. “Is there’s no need to thank us. Would we have been in the same situation, you would have done the same.” 

You nodded, feeling some confidence rise within yourself after his explanation. You started to feel a little more comfortable now, despite knowing full well these three must be on another level. You couldn’t forget your own drive; stepping forward with curiosity, and following through with a passion and knowing those back home are wishing you well. With this, your undying confidence in your goal, and determination to keep moving would carry you far. The world was forward facing, and you had to be as well. If the world wasn’t going to stop for you, you weren’t going to stop at anything to become a Hunter. Not now.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours after the waves had finally calmed, the sun peeked from the thick layer of clouds, shedding its own warm rays across the deck of the ship. You, as well as the other three Hunter applicants were standing on the deck of the ship looking over the water, it was still at least an hour until you would reach land. After a few moments of passing calm, you heard a door open, and looked over to see Katzo scurrying from out the sleeping quarters and over to you and the group. He stopped in front of you, slightly trying to catch his breath from the brisk sprint, and mustering up what he had to say.

“[Y/n]- T-thank you for saving me!” Katzo interjected your way, and quickly ducked in a bow. “If it wasn’t for you back there, I..” Katzo attempted to cover a grim expression in realization, showing a shaky smile and scratching the back of his head nervously. “I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.”

“That makes me feel a lot better..” You said with a sizable sigh. That’s right, that could’ve been you too in those waters. Your mind began to trail back to that moment, the feeling of the cold sea spraying against your face, the drop in your stomach as you faced nearly feet away from the sharp waters, you wondered: If Gon didn’t catch you, if Leorio and Kurapika hadn’t made it in time, the second your skin touched the waves, it would feel like getting caught in a blender of glass shards. The intense cold, unforgiving current, a ghostly shot of adrenaline practically coursed through your veins at the thought.  


“...[Y/n]?” You felt a tap on your shoulder, and jolted back to the present, now aware that it was Katzo who still remained standing across from you. He seemed to be a bit shaken by your sudden reaction, beginning to stammer as if he did something wrong.

“E-everything alright?” He asked in caution with his eyebrows raised with concern. Scanning him, you dug your heels into the secured hard wood of the deck, feeling a wash of relief come over you. _Safe._

“Y-yeah..I’m good.” You had replied, swallowing thickly. You must have sounded like a broken record now as this was practically your default phrase, shoved out of your mouth before you reemerge conscious from the depths of your own mind. 

“But, I don’t think I deserve this credit, after all...They’re the ones you should be thanking.” You added, motioning over towards the diverse conglomerate of a group which previously saved both your lives. Katzo’s eyes widened, nodding his head affirmatively before immediately turning to the rest of the group. 

“Thank you very much!” The scrawny sailor exclaimed, bowing quickly in gratitude.

“You don’t need to thank me.” Kurapika dismissed, concerning his earnest personality, it seemed it was common for him to not accept. Not that you saw this as rude, it gave you an honest sense of the dutiful honour he carried himself with.

“Well..” Leorio cleared his throat, looking around and letting out a few soft laughs to himself. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Right! I-I’ll be returning to my station now!” Katzo lifted his head and gave a warm, departing smile, before turning to run off to his next position. You waved to him as he left, feeling a bit solemn, but you knew if you were to be independent, you couldn’t let the past hold you down from exploring future aspirations. 

Kurapika then huffed amusedly to himself, turning his head away from the sight that was Leorio.

Leorio turned to look at Kurapika, his attitude once again descending from his egotistical high.

“I apologize for my previous disrespect, Mr. Leorio.” Kurapika stated truthfully, his words holding a sincerity which would make anyone look a fool not to commend.

“Eh? What’s with this sudden change..” Leorio muttered to himself, then spoke up. “You make it seem like we’re strangers; Just call me Leorio, Leorio’s fine!” He waved a dismissive hand and turned away almost bashfully. 

“...I’m also sorry. I take back everything I said before. I was wrong.” He then added.

“No, it’s okay.” Kurapika acknowledged Leorio’s words. You could feel the growth from which these two have made, and felt glad for them. Then, a bellowing, hardy laugh erupted from beside the group. 

“Oi, I like you guys! Okay, I’ll take the responsibility for bringing you four to the port closest to the exam site!” The captain exclaimed in great cheer, which both surprised and filled you with a sense of exuberance. 

“Really?” Gon shouted excitedly, who practically put your own thoughts into words. “But what about your test?”

The Captain smiled, looking ahead of himself and taking a drag of his pipe. “Like I said, it’s my test and my decision.” He blew out the remaining puff of smoke from within his lungs, before turning back and showing a grin and extending an affirmative thumbs up.

 

**“All four of you pass!”**


	6. Test x And x Deceit

Finally, you felt the rocking of the ship calm considerably, the collective “hups” and “heaves” sounding from sailors who tossed rope and anchor, fastening the boat to the posts of the port. The calmed waves washed up against the ship’s side, one way a subtle sway the ship would go, and for every odd crest that would push and pull the ship to and from the dock, it looked like It was trying to break free, not wanting to spend another second by land when another voyage was waiting out at sea. 

Maybe that’s how Katzo feels, and maybe that’s how _you_ feel. After having been tied down at port for your whole life, you were finally set free to sail the unpredictable, yet excitable waters of adventure. Letting the winds of chance guide you, a fierce determination from within was your pilot, and curiosity your compass. 

You climbed down the ladder on the side of the ship, before finally stepping down on firm, stable land. Your center of balance was no longer cemented to the ever-swaying ship, and it had somewhat made your legs feel off. Padding away from the ship, your eyes scaled the area around you: a small town you were faced with. A few sailors of whom were aboard the ship were transporting cargo goods to and from the ship and to the port, creating a lively atmosphere. You had even spotted Katzo amongst them, still struggling with his portion of the work as always, but ever persevering. A smile was brought upon your lips as you watched, until a voice caught your attention. 

“Thanks Captain, it was really fun!” Glancing over, you saw Gon and the captain facing each other and briefly shaking hands. 

“Aye, I had fun too! And, as a token of my appreciation, I’ll give you a little advice..” The captain's voice lowered as he eyed his surroundings carefully before repositioning his cap atop his head. You had quickly looked away, decidedly minding yourself. Then, you took notice of the other two by a map set across the road. _Perfect._

You walked towards the map and the two men standing before it, seeing them already having found the next destination under an extended finger. 

“..From here, the only bus that runs this far is the 7, and seems it’s about an hour’s drive.” Leorio stated, trailing his finger along the bus’s travel route. “This Hunters Exam sure makes it’s applicants come far and wide to try their luck at the ends of the earth..” Leorio quietly clicked his tongue in annoyance, swiping his finger away from the map and sighing. 

“Only those capable of a refined discipline of patience and dedication to become Hunters are apt to apply for the exam. That is the purpose of such preemptive obstacles of navigation, otherwise-“ Kurapika’s words flowed, but were held to an abrupt halt as Leorio shot up a hand in front of the other’s face. 

“Yeah yeah, otherwise everyone would be taking the exam.” Leorio finished Kurapika’s words, scratching the back of his neck while slumping slightly forward. 

“But this weeding out gets tiring after a while.” He grumbled to himself, tightening his grip on the handle to his briefcase. Kurapika only sighed in response, before turning his head to see you. 

“Ah, [Y/n]” He greeted your now acknowledged presence. 

“Hey. Everything alright here?” You lifted your hand up, fingers curled in a passive wave while your attention was brought over towards Leorio’s direction. By that, your question was almost certainly directed towards him. Kurapika knew that surely. 

“Yes, just a few complaints, but nothing out of hand.” His lips stretched to meet a smile, of which held a warm sincerity. Yours then were met with the same fate, seemingly a contagious feeling. 

“Oi! [Y/n], Kurapika, Leorio!” Gon came running up from the pier, brimming with a smile with both arms outstretched. 

“Gon.” Kurapika replied contentedly to the others cheer. Gon had stopped himself in front of the three, before Leorio then spoke.

“Well, seems were going to be here for a while. The bus doesn’t get back for another hour. Better get comfortable now.” Leorio half-grumbled, bending over towards the map to get a better look. Gon tilted his head as his eyebrow raised in puzzlement. 

“But the captain said we should go this way.” He said while pointing over in the other direction of the bus stop, a way which seemed to almost certainly go in the opposite direction. Leorio turned his concentration away from the map, furrowing his brows as his lips firmly pressed in a scowl.

“Eh? That old man must be crazy if he thinks I’m gonna walk all that way, obviously it’s a trick to weed out dimwits who’ll believe anything!” Standing up straight now, he turned away from the group and waved a dismissive hand. 

“The captain wouldn’t lie!” Gon called out, keeping his ground as the other only continued to walk away.

“I’m taking the bus, and that’s that.” Leorio called out, walking a few paces, before stopping to sit down and place his briefcase by a nearby tree.

Looking amongst the two, you didn’t quite know what to think. It was a test after all, _The_ Hunters test, which tried your wit and skill at every turn. But you didn’t expect it to have begun just yet. Something in you wanted to trust the captain. After all, you didn’t exactly want to stay with the hot-headed situation Leorio was at the moment. 

“Come on, let’s go. It’s no use changing his mind once he’s made it up.” Kurapika sighed as he crossed his arms. You nodded along, beginning to follow after Gon started to walk down the path by way of the Captain’s prescribed directions. Maybe it was for the best to depart from here, though you couldn’t lie, you might have slightly begun to miss him, or the like. You knew deep down he was a good guy, even if he let on differently at times.

“H-hey! You guys know I was kidding, right? After all, I didn’t want you to go on missing me or anything!” 

You turned around to hear that familiar voice call out, seeing as Leorio ran over to catch up with the group. What got into him all of a sudden? Kurapika, on the other hand, scanned the other and let off a subtle smile of humour. Of course, he was bluffing, as he had heard the conversation of two men only moments later, discussing how the bus was actually a ruse for gullible contenders. 

“Glad you could join us, Leorio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s such a short chapter! I’ve been caught up with school and a few things dealing with being unmotivated, but I really wanted to get back into writing this. But, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! (´u` ;


	7. Calm x Before x Storm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


You found yourself in a room: it was a fairly small restaurant accommodated room with a single table and surrounding chairs in the middle. A sudden ‘chank’ sounded, then a whirring of machinery as the room descended down, down, a sinking feeling filling your stomach as the vertical descent continued. Your eyes all the while had continued to scan the space around the room, and those occupying it alongside yourself.

It took some time, but you were finally about to reach your goal.

Firstly, an unconventional quiz, where silence was the only answer. Second, a murder mystery involving otherworldly creatures. As the time went on, the solution to these tests seemed less and less comprehensible, and you finally knew the weight which the Hunters exam truly held: It was a brutal test where none other than an exceptional ability of both mind and body would suffice. You didn’t know what you would have done if it hadn’t been for Gon, Kurapika, or even Leorio. Even if your mind hadn’t faltered in its certainty, your confidence told another story. You couldn’t back out, you reminded yourself. No matter the cost, you were living up to this moment your entire life.

The doors abruptly opened, immediately sending chills and a shot of adrenaline through your body. This was it, everything your life and all your aspirations had led up to. Your future was facing you with unwavering allure, and now it was only intensified by the uncertainty that would now come. You felt a hand on your shoulder, more or less prepared by the suddency of contact at this point. Looking over the hand, you saw Kurapika. 

“Everything will be okay, [y/n]. If you need anything, we’re here.” He spoke softly, attempting to meet your nerves with reassurance. You couldn’t help to feel a bit of a burden at this, they had practically carried you the entirety of the way. You had to learn how to handle yourself from now, before it’s too late and you wouldn’t forgive yourself. Responding in a nod, Kurapika then removed his hand and looked forward as the door opened. 

The three others stepped out of the room, you following behind as you looked around. You were in a tunnel, though god only knows how far down you were, it was surprisingly well lit. Though, your eyes were more concerned with training themselves upon the pool of participants which filled the tunnel. You’d never seen this many people in one place in your entire life on that tiny island. Not only, you hadn’t seen that many _eccentric_ people in one place before, to say the least. You began to feel a bit tense. Even though your entering had gained no amount of turned heads and curious eyes, that hadn’t qualmed any previous feelings of uneasiness. Somehow, you still felt an immense sense of an intimidating attention. You made sure to stay closely behind the group you had entered with, not wanting to get lost among the dense crowd. 

You then saw someone approaching the three in front of you handing out numbered badges. You couldn't quite make out... What, they were exactly. But, something told you that wouldn't be the strangest thing you would see from now on. 

“Here are your numbers. Don’t lose them.” He gladly handed the badges to the three, before he turned and extended one upwards to you. You took it into your hand, noting the number to mind. ‘406‘.

“What..Would happen in the case that we do?” You smoothed over the numbers with your thumb, your curiosity having bested yourself, and the question having then sought itself off your tongue. 

“You will be disqualified.” He looked up at you with an extended finger and a smile, this gesture not diminishing any worries in any way. 

You swallowed thickly and nodded before fixing your badge onto your front. You knew the Hunters exam was no small feat, but you couldn’t help the thought of something small tripping you up, and ultimately, affirming your failure. 

When you looked back, you noticed he was gone, as if instantaneously.  
You sighed, crossing your fingers already. 

Wishful thinking, stay positive, be confident. 

You chanted in your head, something you would often do when you were faced with a task ahead of you that might have seemed daunting or even near impossible. You weren’t exactly the bravest, but it was something at least to put the thought towards it. 

After, you noticed the group’s attention had been pulled aside as someone walked over. A rather short man, dawning a blue vest and the badge number ‘16’. He looked to have been holding a few cans of juice in his hands, which had struck you as a bit odd. Suddenly he had noticed you standing there, his smile unfaltering as he looked you over for a few passing moments. 

“Hey, the name’s Tonpa. I was just sharing some drinks with your friends here. You know, calm the nerves before the big test.” He gestured towards the three with his elbow, before bringing up a spare can infront of himself. “Care for any? Consider it a symbol of friendship.” His face spread in a jolly smile, appearing rather lax. 

Friends? You didn’t know if you would have called them so, after having only known them for about a day now. But, who were you to argue. You inspected the can he held out, feeling yourself a bit odd. You didn’t exactly feel like having a drink offered by someone you had just met, though it would be rude of you to decline. But if the others took it from him and began to drink it, maybe you’re just being paranoid. So, you reached out to take the can, nodding timidly at the other. 

“Than-”

Something cut you off before you could finish. Something most abhorrent, awful to the point of blood and bile curdling at the sound of it. The pained scream of a man echoed off the acoustics of the tunnel, funneling into and nestling themselves in your ears. You cringed, as it had made you think back to the day you had heard that tone of anguish laced in one’s voice before. The first time you had witnessed one of the many horrible facts of life. 

You remembered, the local blacksmith was tending to the fine tunings and tinkering of his equipment as it was another day on the island. Walking through the town, you were to bring mother back a fresh baked loaf of bread from the bakery, and a bouquet from Barclays flower shoppe for your grandmother. Every detail was fresh in your mind as if you were reliving the day: From the wicker basket creaking with every swing and step, to the sweeping of the broom on Kittredge's deck, it was all clear. Then the horrid sounding shrill tore through the air with paper-like ease. You ran over to the shop, and saw the blacksmith standing there, holding his hand with a mix of horror and agony. His eyes were fixed on the wound on his hand, covered in black and red. The smell of seared flesh had already filled the room. Then, that same intense stare reached your own eyes. You felt timid and wrong in that moment. They gave off an unrelenting plea of help, that you could understand. 

“[Y/n]...[Y/n]!” Gon gently tugged on your arm, receding yourself from your thoughts. You looked over and saw the worry mixed in his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed. You would be lost in your thoughts more often than not these days. 

“T-thank you, Gon. I’m alright.” You nodded your head lightly, to which he let go of his grip. Then, you were shot back into the reality before you when you heard a voice speak up from the hushed crowd. 

“Oh, how peculiar… His arms seemed to have turned into petals.” 

The voice seemed to cusp on the side of dulcet, laced in an almost sickeningly sweet tone.

 

_“No smoke and mirrors here.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, this chapter was sort of just trying to get something out... But, at least we're starting to get closer to the main point of it.  
> Dangerously close. (・｀ω´)


	8. Start x And x Finish!

The voice had come from the center of the crowd, now marked with a prominent clearing around two figures. You hadn’t taken a single step from your initial standing, but you could look over another's shoulder to see what was happening. 

Two men- you could see just enough to gather this so. One of which was kneeling on the ground with what was left of the arms in front of him. The sight of it made you feel sick, more than anything you could have imagined. The absence of the man’s arms were replaced with a trail of petals, drifting away into the air. It wasn’t gruesome, regardless of the context. You could even call it beautiful. 

But yet, it felt wrong to regard it directly. Looking at him, it was like you could feel the pain reflected in his eyes. You could feel the electrifying agony reflected clearly on your person, dancing on your forearms, fleeting, ferved pricks, as pieces of what were once the man’s arm dissipated into flora. The feeling backed your heart into the corner of your ribs and wet your eyes with an uncomforting, tepid pool. Your body was vacant of thought and rationale, trembling and grasping onto what little it had left.

The Hunter’s exam isn’t a dream.  
It doesn’t shelter you from the cruelties of the world.  
It’s built upon them. 

The crowd began to lax slowly, and there was the moment of which the body in front of your view had shifted, allowing you a more generous sight.

You could now gather the features of that voice from before.  
-And the face made up with defined, yet fluid edges- adorned with a striking vermillion, hair which pulled back into unrelenting waves.  
Features no softer in nature, and eyes that met sharp slits alongside high arched brows. Modicum, a star and teardrop were painted with minded symmetry of malar.  
A mouth closed off in a tight-lipped smile, simper-esque.  
His clothing, lastly in detail, paid close tribute to this trend of an implicitly put together stature. 

The position which he held over the other man, unwavering yet unriled, it brought forth the notion of an insinuated juxtaposition: pain, adrenaline, tranquility and pleasure. 

The way in which your eyes met that man, there was an unspeakable draw. It permitted enough for an aversive reaction from an unwilling gravitational pull. The more time which passed, the more an unshakable feeling of a fixated stare bore into your body. It was akin to what one would feel when in the uncertainty of the dark, it wasn’t your mind which noticed first, but your body, that gave way to an instinctual heightened awareness of attentive eyes.

It only took a slight stir, an almost indiscernible adjustment of his head your way, though you were uncertain if it were only your eyes playing tricks, to tear your eyes away from him. In that moment, you had never felt more vulnerable. All it took was the slightest insinuation of an encounter, and it left you immeasurably transfixed. You wanted nothing more than to tuck yourself away into the corner, to hide yourself from his mere gaze. It was like nothing you had ever experienced before. 

“That psychopath is back again…”  
Beside you, Tonpa leaned in towards the group while gripping onto one of his previous cans, lowering his voice enough to blend in with the hushed room. 

“Little word of advice, I’d suggest you to stay away from number 44. He’s bad news.”  
He suggested while pointing back over his shoulder. This information of which, you had noted without warrant. “Number 44, Hisoka the magician. He tried out last year, would have passed too, but was disqualified for killing an examiner he didn’t like.” He finished, furrowing his brows while scanning the room. The others, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio all seemed to take in the information at their own pace.

“The hell-- That’s crazy! Why haven’t they banned him from ever taking the test altogether?” Leorio retorted rather loudly, to your dismay. You hardly wanted to draw any attention your way now. Though luckily, it hadn’t attracted anyone’s attention. Kurapika turned to Leorio, following his fit without hesitation.  
“Anyone can try out to become a hunter. The most wanted convicted felon to the devil himself could test. The rules change every year, which is why he was only disqualified until the next test. That’s just how the Hunter exam works.”  
This statement made no effort in making you feel less on the side of uneasiness than before. 

“Well, let’s not let that get us down, eh? Best of luck to us all!” Tonpa raised the can of juice in his hand, to which the group followed in accordance, with you as an exception. Everyone began to sip away, until you heard something splashing against the concrete.

“-Mr. Tonpa? I think the juice went bad...” 

The group turned to Gon who mumbled out as he let the juice pour out of his mouth, spilling and sounding with a splash onto the ground. After the fact, Leorio and Kurapika took their own cans and promptly emptied them onto the ground in accordance before turning back to Tonpa. Tonpa, of whom, seemed to be taken aback by this, though quickly regained composure in a only moment’s notice. It made you feel somewhat suspicious towards the fluency of which he turned on and off between moods in that way.

“Ahaha, oh, I guess so… Silly me!” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head furiously as his eyebrows seemed to twitch slightly. 

“W-well... ” He hastily occupied and patted himself, digging and scrounging through pockets as he stammered out humorously. “Where did I put that.. Oh!” A snap between his fingers, and he turned on his heels, hollering out to the group now behind him. 

“I forgot somethin’, s’cuse me!” He bowed as he blurted out abruptly, then left post haste, continuing on an unrelenting abrasive path. 

“Oi! You get back here!” Leorio shouted out with exasperation while he presumed position to run after him. “Tch, bastard--”  
“Leave it, Leorio.” A hand flew up from Kurapika and pulled Leorio back from his thoughts, steadying him from another problematic fit.  
“There’s no use to get worked up yet. The exam is riddled with plenty of con artists and dirty tricks, no matter how underhanded. Those tactics are as permitted as one’s integrity.” The blonde breathed before receding his hand from the other’s shoulder, leaving a stifled expression on Leorio’s half. The taller man kicked at the ground, attempting to subdue himself in spite of the situation.  
“Fine. But if I see him again, don’t bother talking me down.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, taking on part of his rarely seen serious side of himself. 

You gave a passing glance up over from where the previous uproar transpired, and found that both men had disappeared flawlessly from sight. An unnerving feeling gnawed at the back of your throat, the pristine execution of exit being far too soundless realistically. 

Though, before you could elaborate anymore on the subject’s matter, you heard a ringing before you felt the ground beneath you begin to rumble, the sound of an ancient doorway opening up filling the space as you looked to see the presumed end of the room open up to an endless hall.  
From there, a man clad with a suit and tie stood, almost expectantly, and the crowd fell hush as if by command. You hardly knew what was going on, but only watched intently in suit of the rest. 

“The entry period for the Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter exam will now begin!” The man called out, but you couldn’t exactly make out whether his mouth had been moving or not from the distance you were at. He then turned and brought up a leg, before promptly stepping forward in march. It seemed a bit unnatural, or rather uncomfortable for that matter. The applicants began to pool out of the room, and you soon followed suit alongside the group you had acquainted yourself with. They made you feel safe, even if it was for only now.

“A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you.” The man extended an arm towards the exit at the back of the room, but as you began to look around yourself, you took notice that no one had even faltered in their certainty despite the upfront circumstances.

You knew it wasn’t going to be easy, not everyone can achieve becoming a hunter. The possibility of even having found the examination site already eluded towards the immensity of the test. 

But what you didn’t know was the reason you were here had followed you after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again-
> 
> It seems I've been a bit caught up in school, but I finally managed to get another chapter out, that I'm rather happy with! I have a tremendous love of building on my vocabulary, so this is somewhat of an outlet of that. ( ´∀´)  
> In other news, I’ve also been working on another story on the side! It's a bit different, but I think it's interesting and sweet in it's own way.  
> But in the mean time, I hope you all enjoy reading this! I truly appreciate each and every bit of feedback from you guys, and hope that I can bring you more work that you enjoy.


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